Poster mounts

ABSTRACT

Four poster mounts are die cut from a cardboard panel. Each mount has on the front surface, adjacent a first corner, an adhesive for attachment to a respective corner of a poster. A tension pad of resilient material is provided on the reverse surface of each mount in the corner diagonally opposite the first corner. Adhesive on the rear surface of each tension pad is used to attach the mount to a wall, the resiliency of the pad maintaining the poster under tension.

- Q I. Umted States atent 1 1 1111 3,766,676

Slemmons Oct. 23, 1973 [54] POSTER MOUNTS FOREIGN PATENTS R APPLICATIONS 1 inventor: John Slemmmls, 19142 572,770 3/1933 Germany 40/148 A Albyn, Orange, Calif- 576,839 5/1958 Italy 125 A [22] Filed: May 3, 1971 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Mitchell PP N05 1391688 Assistant Examiner wenceslao J. Contreras Attorney-Philip M. Hinderstein [52] U.S. Cl. 40/158 A, 24/67 [51] G09! 1/10 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 24/67 CF, 67 AR; Four poster mounts are die cut from a cardboard 40/158, 158 125 A panel. Each mount has on the front surface, adjacent a first corner, an adhesive for attachment to a respec- [56] References cued .tive corner of a poster. A tension pad of resilient ma- UNITED STATES PATENTS terial is provided on the reverse surface of each mount 1,342,248 6/1920 Bloomquist 40/158 A in the corner diagonally pp the first corner- 1,652,471 12/1927 Engel 40/158 A hesive on the rear surface of each tension pad is used 2,030,135 2/1936 Carpenter.. 40/125 A X to attach the mount to a wall, the resiliency of the pad 2,451,646 10/1948 Ainsworth A maintaining the poster under tension 2,493,276 1/1950 Thurston.... /158 A 2,608,503 8/1952 Meyer 40 A 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures POSTER MOUNTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to poster mounts, and more particularly, to corner mounting elements each having a resilient pad, adhesively attachable to a wall, for maintaining a mounted poster under tension.

2. Description of the Prior Art In recent years, sales of posters have multiplied as such posters have become commonly used for room decoration. Posters of every variety are available, ranging from the traditional travelogs and celebrity pictures, to reproductions of artistic masterpieces, childrens motifs and psychedelic displays. For the most part, these posters are mounted on a wall using thumb tacks or adhesive tape. Such mountings are unsightly, and detract from the appearance of the poster itself. When so mounted, the poster corners often become dog-cared or frayed. It is difficult to maintain the poster under tension, and unsightly wrinkles result.

A much more satisfactory method of mounting a poster is disclosed in the inventors U. S. Pat. No. 3,591,940, Supporting Frame. This device uses an extruded plastic frame member having a generally U- shaped cross-section into which the top edge of the poster is inserted. A rod or dowel having a diameter slightly greater than the inside width of the extrusion is inserted into the frame member to clampthe poster edge in place. A similar frame member may be provided at the poster bottom edge. Such a frame provides an attractive decorative accent at the top and bottom of the poster, prevents fraying of the poster corners, and keeps wrinkling at a minimum.

An object of the present invention is to provide yet a different type of poster mount which will maintain a poster under tension, and will provide a decorative corner accent while preventing the poster corners from fraying and while maintaining the poster under tension. The poster mounts are simple to manufacture, easy to distribute and vend, and can be sold inexpensively at a price lower than that of the poster itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a poster mounting device comprising four rectangular mounts die cut from a single cardboard panel. Each mount has on the front surface, adjacent a first corner, a pressure sensitive adhesive used to attach the mount to a respective corner of a poster. A tension pad of resilient material is provided on the reverse surface of each mount in the corner diagonally opposite that at which the poster is attached. Pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear surface of each tension pad is used to attach the mount to a wall, the resiliency of the pad maintaining the poster under tension.

In a preferred embodiment, the adhesive coated corners of all four mounts are situated in mutually adjacent relationship on the cardboard panel, and the adhesive is covered with a single protective label. A single die cutting operation incompletely severs the mounts from the panel, and simultaneously cuts'the protective label along the edge of each mount. A portion of the panel may be imprinted with advertising or instructions. Thus the poster mounts remain part of a unitary article, simplifying distribution and sale. The mounts then may be hand severed from the panel at the time of use.

As an optional feature, an arcuate incision may be die cut through each poster mount to receive a respective corner of the poster. In this way, the poster corners are hidden from view, and the poster mounts with their sharply defined edges provide attractive corner accents for the poster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED- EMBODIMENT The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention since the scope of the invention best is defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a unitary cardboard panel 10 from which are die cut four poster mounts 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d (collectively designated mounts 11). The poster mounts 11 are imcompletely severed from the panel 10, remaining attached thereto by connecting segments'13 spaced along the perforated edges 14 of the mounts 11.

A pressure sensitive adhesive 15 (FIG. 3) is provided on the front surface of each poster mount 11 adjacent a respective first corner 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, adhesive 15 covers less than onequarter of the front surface of each poster mount 11 and, preferably, covers approximately one-ninth of the front surface, as shown. As shown in FIG. 4, this adhesive 15 is used to attach the corners 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d of a poster 18 to the respective corner mounts 11. A protective label 19, die cut along the poster mount edges 14, protects the adhesive 15 prior to use.

Affixed to the rear surface of each poster mount 11 is a tension pad 21 of resilient material such as plastic foam or sponge. Each tension pad 21 is situated at the respective corner 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d diagonally opposite the respectivefirst corner 16a, 16d. As shown in FIG. 2, the size of each tension pad 21 is less than one-quarter of thearea of the rear surface of each poster mount 11 and, preferably, is less than one-ninth of the area of the rear surface, as shown. The rear surface of each tension pad 21 is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive 23 (FIG. 3) used to attach the poster mountto a wall. A label 24 protects the adhesive 23 prior to use.

As an optional feature, each poster mount 11 has first and second lines 29 and 30 on the front surface thereof, lines 29 and 30 being parallel to the sides of poster mounts 11 which define corners 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. Lines 29 and 30 define the minimum amount of overlap of corners 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d of poster 18 on the respective front surfaces of mounts 11. Therefore, lines 29 and 30 are spaced from the sides of mounts 11 which define corners 22a-22d by less than one-half of the width of each poster mount 11 and, preferably, by less than one-quarter of the width of each mount 1 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this manner, lines 29 and 30 insure that adhesive 15 is spaced from the sides of poster 18 to prevent the glued down corner look and to prevent puckering in the event of a slight angular misalignment of one poster mount 11 relative to the other poster mount 11.

Lines 29 and 30 are preferably formed as the opposite ends of an arcuate line 25 on the front surface of each poster mount 11, which arcuate line 25 intersects the diagonal between corners 16 and 22 thereof. According to one embodiment of the invention, each poster mount 11 has an incision therethrough along arcuate line 25, the incision not extending to any edge of the mount 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the corners 17a, 17b of the poster 11 may be inserted through the incisions 25 so as to hide those poster corners from view behind the respective mounts 11a, 11b.

To mount a poster 18, the mounts 11 are hand severed from the panel 10, along the perforated edges 14. The protective labels 19 are removed and the adhesive used to attach the mounts to the back side of each poster corner 17a through 17d. The protective labels 24 then are removed, and the adhesive 23 on the tension pads 21 is used to attach the mounts to a wall.

To provide tension, the poster mount 11a, preferably is mounted first, followed in sequence by mounts 11b, 1 1c and 11d. As each mount is attached to the wall, the corner of the tension pad is bent up slightly and pulled lightly against the other mounts in the direction of the respective arrows 26b, 26c and 26d indicated in FIG. 4. When so mounted, the resiliency of the pads 2l-will maintain the poster 18 under tension.

Since the other three corners of each poster mount 11 remain in viewwhen mounted as shown in FIG. 4, it is desirable that these corners be sharply die cut to provide well defined right angles. Accordingly, note in FIG. 1 that the connecting segments 13 are spaced inwardly from the corners 27 and 28 of the typical mount 11a further than the intersect of an extension (not shown) of the arcuate incision 25. This insures that when the poster is mounted, all of the segments 13 will be hidden from view behind the poster 18.

Fabrication of the poster mounts 11 is simplified by arranging the mounts as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the adhesive coated corners 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d in mutually adjacent relationship on the panel 10. In this way, a single adhesive coating operation and a single protective label 19 may be used. Moreover, incomplete severing of the poster mount edges 14, cutting of the label 19 along the edges 14, and formation of the incisions all may be accomplished simultaneously in a single die cutting operation.

By incompletely severing the poster mounts from the panel 10, there remains a unitary article which may be handled easily during distribution and sale. In this regard, the portion of the panel 10 not used for the actual poster mounts 11 may be imprinted with advertising or instructions. The entire article then may be packaged in a clear plastic envelope (not shown).

Thus there is provided a simple poster mounting apparatus which is easy and inexpensive to fabricate. The inventive poster mounts are attractive and function to maintain a mounted poster under tension and to prevent fraying of the poster comers.

I claim:

1. An article for use at each corner of a poster or like article for mounting said poster on a supporting surface comprising:

a planar mount having first and second diagonally op posite areas;

adhesive on the front surface of said mount only adjacent said first area for attachment of said mount to a corner of said poster, said adhesive covering less than one-quarter of said front surface of said mount, said corner of said poster overlapping more than one-quarter of said front surface of said mount whereby said adhesive is spaced from the sides of said poster which define said corner; and

a tension pad on the rear surface of said mount adjacent said second area, the size of said tension pad being less than one-quarter of the area of said rear surface of said mount, said tension pad having an adhesive on the rear surface thereof for attachment of said mount to said supporting surface, the springiness or resiliency of said tension pad maintaining a mounted poster under tension.

2. An article according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive on the front surface of said mount covers approximately one-ninth of said front surface of said mount and wherein said corner of said poster overlaps at least four-ninths of said front surface of said mount whereby said adhesive is spaced from said sides of said poster by at least one-third of the width of said mount.

3. An article according to claim 2 wherein the size of said tension pad is less than one-ninth of the area of said rear surface of said mount.

4. An article according to claim 1 further comprising:

first and second lines on said front surface of said mount, aligned with the respective sides thereof which terminate in said second area, said lines being spaced from said sides of said mount by less than one-half of the width of said mount, said lines defining the minimum amount of overlap of said corner of said poster on said front surface of said mount to insure that said adhesive on the front surface of said mount is spaced from said sides of said poster which define said corner.

5. An article according to claim 4 wherein said first and second lines on said front surface of said mount are spaced from said sides of said mount which terminate in said second area being less than one-quarter of the width of said mount.

6. An article according to claim 4 wherein said first and second lines on said front surface of said mount are the opposite ends of an arcuate line on said front surface of said mount which intersects the diagonal between said first and second areas of said mount, said mount having an incision therethrough along said arcuate line, said incision not extending to any edge of said mount, said corner of said poster being insertable through said incision to hide said poster corner from view, the front surface of said second areas of said mount providing a decorative accent for said poster. 

1. An article for use at each corner of a poster or like article for mounting said poster on a supporting surface comprising: a planar mount having first and second diagonally opposite areas; adhesive on the front surface of said mount only adjacent said first area for attachment of said mount to a corner of said poster, said adhesive covering less than one-quarter of sAid front surface of said mount, said corner of said poster overlapping more than one-quarter of said front surface of said mount whereby said adhesive is spaced from the sides of said poster which define said corner; and a tension pad on the rear surface of said mount adjacent said second area, the size of said tension pad being less than onequarter of the area of said rear surface of said mount, said tension pad having an adhesive on the rear surface thereof for attachment of said mount to said supporting surface, the springiness or resiliency of said tension pad maintaining a mounted poster under tension.
 2. An article according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive on the front surface of said mount covers approximately one-ninth of said front surface of said mount and wherein said corner of said poster overlaps at least four-ninths of said front surface of said mount whereby said adhesive is spaced from said sides of said poster by at least one-third of the width of said mount.
 3. An article according to claim 2 wherein the size of said tension pad is less than one-ninth of the area of said rear surface of said mount.
 4. An article according to claim 1 further comprising: first and second lines on said front surface of said mount, aligned with the respective sides thereof which terminate in said second area, said lines being spaced from said sides of said mount by less than one-half of the width of said mount, said lines defining the minimum amount of overlap of said corner of said poster on said front surface of said mount to insure that said adhesive on the front surface of said mount is spaced from said sides of said poster which define said corner.
 5. An article according to claim 4 wherein said first and second lines on said front surface of said mount are spaced from said sides of said mount which terminate in said second area being less than one-quarter of the width of said mount.
 6. An article according to claim 4 wherein said first and second lines on said front surface of said mount are the opposite ends of an arcuate line on said front surface of said mount which intersects the diagonal between said first and second areas of said mount, said mount having an incision therethrough along said arcuate line, said incision not extending to any edge of said mount, said corner of said poster being insertable through said incision to hide said poster corner from view, the front surface of said second areas of said mount providing a decorative accent for said poster. 